June 2011- FBCS is a fully accredited elementary school and child development centerthrough the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Accrediting Commission of The Texas Association of Baptist Schools (ACTABS), which is a part of TEPSAC (Texas Private School Accrediting Commission) and is recognized by the Texas Education Agency.

April 19, 2011 - The Accreditation Visiting Team visited First Baptist Christian School on April 18-19, 2011 to conduct its final viewing and interviews with stakeholders.

The Team recommended full accreditation of First Baptist Christian School! The recommendation will receive final approval in June 2011 to be in effect for the 2010-2011 academic year!

Congratulations to the staff, teachers, administration, board of directors, parents, church and community supporter who have worked so hard to make this dream come true for FBCS!

March 15, 2011- First Baptist Christian School submitted its application to become accredited through Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) which accredits the University of Texas and other major universities and schools. First Baptist Christian School has also applied for accreditation through the Accrediting Commission of The Texas Association of Baptist Schools (ACTABS), which is a part of TEPSAC (Texas Private School Accrediting Commission) and is recognized by the Texas Education Agency.

The Accreditation Visiting Team will be visiting First Baptist Christian School on April 18-19, 2011 to conduct its final viewing and interviews with stakeholders. Accreditation announcement will follow soon thereafter.

January 11, 2011 - FBCS was promoted to the second step in the Accreditation Process, Candidate/Chapter 2: Engaging in Internal Review, by Dr. Sandra Sherman, Director of Texas-SACS CASI. Board members were given their materials to begin organizing their stakeholder teams for the AdvancED Self-Assessment process for Standards 1-7.

Standard-Level Contextual Narratives are due to Dr. Sandra Phelps by February 18, 2001 for final application submission by March 1, 2011.

November 11, 2010 - FBCS Board of Directors has begun the accreditation process. We would like to invite stakeholders from the School and Church to be involved in the committee process of doing a self study of our school and making a report to the Accreditation Visiting Team of educators from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Accrediting Commission of the Texas Association of Baptist School who will review our school in late April, 2011. By May, 2011, our school will be fully accredited which is so exciting! Between now and then, there is a lot of work to do on our self study of how FBCS meets the accreditation standards. If you would like to help serve on one of the following committees, please tell me personally or email me at sandrap@marblefallsfbc.org.

Following are the Accreditation Committees and Chairs of each committee:

1. Vision and Purpose - Chairs, Scott Nail and Gary Stone

2. Governance and Leadership - Chair, Matt Cochran

3. Teaching and Learning - Chair, Susan Allen

4. Documenting and Using Results - Chair, Dee Fate

5. Resources and Support Systems - Chair, Jim Taylor

6. Stakeholder Communication - Chair, Donna Wilcox

7. Commitment to Continuous Improvement - Chair, Dr. Phelps

October 15, 2010 - FBCS Administration and elementary faculty met to begin the curriculum documentation process as required for accreditation.

October 8, 2010 - FBCS Board of Directors and Administration met with SACS officials to begin the accreditation process for First Baptist Christian School. Updates on the process will be posted to keep parents and stakeholders informed of the activities taking place.

Overview for FBCS

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools. Today, to demonstrate educational quality, accreditation is used by education providers of all types from traditional schools to distance learning providers to tutoring centers serving all ages of students from toddlers to adults.

Accreditation engages the school community in meeting high quality standards, implementing a continuous improvement process, and engaging in quality assurance through internal and external review. Accredited schools demand rigor, use data to make in-formed decisions, and approach the documentation of results with discipline. Accredited schools invite external scrutiny and welcome the constructive feedback of peers.

What are the benefits of accreditation?

A distinctive mark of quality recognized internationally, that affords external recognition of the school’s commitment to quality

Standards based on educational research and best practice

Clear and intuitive processes for school improvement that are grounded in best practices from the education and business fields

A framework and support system to help meet and exceed local, state, national, and appropriate international requirements

Professional development opportunities such as service on review teams, annual conferences, and state workshops on all aspects of school improvement

An opportunity to gain valuable input, validation, and support from peers

A connection to the best practices of over 23,000 public and private schools

Customized and technical assistance to maximize improvement efforts

Access to a rich and wide array of resources and tools aimed at enhancing improvement efforts

How does accreditation benefit students?

Students are the ultimate beneficiaries of the accreditation process. When the entire school is aligned and focused on a shared vision for student learning, students win. They benefit from the enhanced focus on student performance and the greater articulation and coordination as they move from one level of schooling to another. In addition, the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) accreditation seals provide an educational currency for student credits that is recognized worldwide, easing the transferability of credits among other accredited schools and enabling access to special programs, grants, and scholarships.

The accreditation process is based on a five-year term accreditation. The process helps schools continuously improve by providing external checks, support, and feedback. Once every five years, the school hosts a Quality Assurance Review Team.

First Baptist Christian School is prayerfully seeking team leaders to work with Dr. Sandra Phelps, accreditation experts, and the FBCS Board of Directors on developing the seven Accreditation Standards.

The seven Accreditation Standards for Quality Schools are as follows:

Vision and Purpose

Governance & Leadership

Teaching and Learning

Documentation and Using Results

Resources and Support Systems

Stakeholder Communication and Relationships

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

The seven Accreditation Standards for Quality Schools are represented in each of the three Core Tasks as follows:

Endure Desired Results

Improve Teaching and Learning

Foster a Culture of Improvement

The National Study of School Evaluation’s research also identified a number of “organizational conditions” within a school system that contribute to improve student achievement. These organizational conditions for improving schools provide a solid foundation for continuous improvement.

Quality Teachers – the recruitment, placement, and professional development of teachers to achieve the school’s vision of student learning

Effective Leadership – the leader’s decisions and actions to support the vision of student learning

Quality Information – the collection, management, and use of information to enable the school to make informed decisions, take specific actions, and assess the results of improvement efforts that support the school’s vision of student learning

Policies and Procedures that Foster and Sustain Improvement – the school’s development and implementation of policies and procedures that support improvement efforts

Resources and Support Systems to Sustain Improvement – the allocation and deployment of human, technology, and material resources to target areas for improvement

All five organizational conditions are embodied in the Accreditation Standards for Quality Schools.

For more information on accreditation and the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC), visit the website at http://www.tepsac.org/index.cfm.